Nickolas Varvaris (Barton, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Human services. Will the minister update the House on what the government is doing to address welfare fraud?

Stuart Robert (Fadden, Liberal Party, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Let me thank the honourable member for his question and for all his hard work looking after vulnerable Australians in his electorate. The government is pretty serious about protecting the integrity of our $154 billion welfare system—it is a third of all government outlays—and will continue to take a very strong stance against welfare fraud. We are pretty serious about protecting the integrity of the welfare system. Most Australians are doing the right thing. Most Australians only claim and receive the benefits they are entitled to, and this government wants to ensure that those in support are able to continue to get that support. But the unfortunate reality is that some welfare recipients believe it is okay to cheat the system.

Ms Butler interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Griffith is warned!

Stuart Robert (Fadden, Liberal Party, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government says to those: you are not just cheating and stealing from the government; you are stealing from your neighbour; you are stealing from those genuinely in need. So today the government announced the establishment of Taskforce Integrity, which will ensure taxpayers' money only goes to those who genuinely need a helping hand. Taskforce Integrity is the largest welfare taskforce ever initiated by government. It is led by the Department of Human Services. Forty-seven million dollars has been provided to it over the next four years. There are 100 men and women as part of the taskforce, led by an Assistant Commissioner of the Federal Police, with eight other AFP officers, supplemented and supported by the 300 other investigators in the department, as well as 1,900 others in the compliance section. It is part of the 2015 welfare integrity budget measure, which is projected to recoup a staggering $1.7 billion. This is on top of the $3 billion in overpayments and fraudulent payments my department has already identified and has already commenced stages of recovery.

Taskforce Integrity will target specific geographic areas where data analysis points to a high risk of noncompliance and suspected welfare fraud. While the taskforce focuses on specific locations, the department will continue its nationwide fraud and noncompliance program which saved taxpayers a record $918 million last year. So, as you can see, Taskforce Integrity will significantly bolster the already substantial assets the department has. The pilot program has been very successful. There have been 1,107 compliance reviews, 790 cases of overpayments and 36 cases of fraud. You would think those opposite would support this measure. You would think those opposite would support welfare fraud. The member for Jagajaga came out this morning complaining that we are being too tough. There is a pattern here. Labor complained about fraud in the CFMEU, Labor complained about the royal commission, Labor complained about fraud on construction sites and the ABCC— (Time expired)